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Split wide open

I love laughing.
I love laughing a lot.

It is such a deceptively simple statement, but for someone who loves laughing so much, I don't do it nearly as much as I sigh, cry and glower.

Last night, I went to a live taping of This Hour has 22 Minutes. For anyone who hasn't seen their brilliant work, they are pioneers in modern political satire. Long before The Daily Show started impaling the powerful, the talented crew at 22 Minutes were cooking it old school. There were years when that is where I got my most accurate (and scathing) news.

What was so exciting about last night's show was that one of the original 4 cast members was in the house playing one of her more famous characters live.

She plays this mouthy American pundit periodically and last night, she did not disappoint. The character was declaring her intention to move to Canada in light of the recent election results.

What was so great to observe was a veteran master of her craft getting into character. At one point, after filming it once, she commented, "Oh I was just pretending, not being real." and proceeded to try again. Her second attempt was indeed better, more real.

Seeing her work it out and go there so fully was mesmerizing.

I laughed a lot both times she did it and throughout the night.

The endorphins were released. I was suddenly straddling a chasm, on the brink of tears. Laughing is fun, but that is not all. It splits a seam right open, exposes hypocrisy, uncovers truth, throws us off balance- even more reasons I need to laugh more than I sigh.